Exam Day
by ImaginIsa
Summary: This is the day of the infamous Kobayashi Maru exam told from the point of view of two cadets...Sulu and Chekov!


**Exam Day**

_ Disclaimer and Author's Note: I don't own any of these amazing characters, this universe, or anything Star Trek. Spoilers for _Star Trek (2009)_ and maybe _Star Trek: Into Darkness_. This takes place in the alternate reality version of events presented in those two movies although I'm drawing on a knowledge base from all the other Star Trek shows and movies too.  
This is the day of the infamous Kobayashi Maru exam told from the point of view of two cadets...Sulu and Chekov! _

Sure, the Kobayashi Maru was the famous exam simulation but it wasn't the ONLY test. In fact, for any true self-respecting pilot the test to pass wasn't the Kobayashi Maru that no one ever actually passed, but the Saturn Asteroid Challenge. At least, that was the opinion of Cadet Hikaru Sulu and the majority of his advanced pilots' class. Four years of Starfleet training had led up to this moment; the most challenging pilot simulation in the Alpha Quadrant. And it was made even more difficult by the fact that only two people were allowed in the simulation room at a time - one pilot and one navigator - and the two members of the pair were randomly chosen. This meant that Sulu might be paired with someone he had never practiced with before. However, the possibility of that was very rare.

Sulu had gathered with most of his pilots' class outside of the simulation room and was listening as the group swapped tips about how to get around asteroids and the tricks to not getting trapped in the gravity of Saturn's rings. Sulu was silent, mainly because if he spoke, he'd get nervous. He knew he was a good pilot; he was an excellent pilot! But when he was nervous he tended to forget easy things...like disengaging the inertial exterior dampeners or the correct sequence for turning off the thrusters. Easy, first year things that he never forgot in real-life situations or in class...but during tests...

"Hey, look," Nick Paris said, tapping Sulu on the shoulder, "Here come the Navigators. Now we can actually start."  
"You'd think they'd be on time," Sulu told him, examining the approaching group.  
He recognized almost all of them, which was a relief...and he definitely recognized the little one in the back who sat down with a book, his back against the wall, and didn't speak with anyone. Sulu didn't actually know the kid personally but everyone knew him as the little Russian kid. His name was Che-cough or something and he'd started as a cadet when he was fourteen and was already taking fourth year classes during his third year at the Academy. Sulu didn't know what to think since the genius kid didn't talk much. Sometimes he wondered if he even spoke English...

Sulu was wrenched out of his musings by the flight instructor coming out of the simulation room and announcing shouting, "Admiral on deck!"  
Sulu instantly sprang to attention and saluted, as did everyone else. Even little Russian kid leapt to his feet.  
Admiral Travis Mayweather came in and said, "At ease, Cadets."  
The group complied; the excitement almost tangible in the air-conditioned room.  
"The instructions are deceivingly simple," the Admiral said, "In this simulation you will be flying the latest Starfleet shuttle, only thrusters will be enabled. You will have to navigate a marked course through the rings of Saturn during an Asteroid storm. You will have twenty minutes to complete the course. If your ship is destroyed, the simulation will shut down and you will fail the test. If your engines fail and you are stranded inside of Saturn's rings, you fail the test. If time runs out, you fail the test. Any questions?"  
No one said a word.  
Admiral Mayweather smiled, "Good luck."  
"Cadets Paris and Trish, step forward," barked the flight instructor.

Sulu gave Paris a clap on the back as his friend entered the simulation room, and felt a twinge of anxiety in the pit of his stomach. He'd been hoping to get paired with Trish. The minutes crept by and navigator after navigator that he knew and trusted was called into the simulation with one of his classmates. Sulu's anxiety was now a sizable hole in his stomach and he started pacing.  
Soon it was only Sulu, the Russian kid, a navigator he didn't know, and a young female pilot, April Mayweather the admiral's grand-daughter.  
April sat down next to Sulu and gave him a strained smile.  
"I swear my grandpa did this on purpose. I'm probably last."  
Sulu smiled weakly but before he could say anything the flight instructor appeared and barked in the voice Sulu has come to hate, "Cadets Mayweather and Smith, come forward."  
April glanced at the Russian kid, who gave her a somewhat encouraging smile, before she followed Smith inside.  
The pit of anxiety in Sulu's stomach suddenly turned into indignation. He, the best pilot (one of the best at least) was paired with the kid?! It wasn't fair. For whatever reason this thought spurred him on and he found that he wasn't nervous anymore.  
Sulu squared his shoulders and walked over to where the kid was still sitting against the wall. In turn, the kid closed his book with a snap and stood.

"Hikaru Sulu?" the kid asked in a thick Russian accent.  
"Yes?" Answered Sulu, his speech forgotten over the amazement that the kid knew his name. They'd never spoken to each other.  
"I'm Pavel Chekov and, believe it or not, I'm the top Navigator in our class. I know we haven't practiced together but we were probably paired for a reason and if we work together we can beat the exam."  
Out of words, Chekov took a deep breath and clasped his hands behind his back somewhat nervously. Sulu suddenly felt a rush of admiration for the gangly, awkward teenager who he had a feeling was telling the truth about his grades...

Sulu grinned at him. "Ready to complete the course in fifteen minutes, Chekov?"  
Chekov grinned back, "I was thinking more like twelve."

"Cadets Chekov and Sulu, your turn," called the flight instructor a few agonizing minutes later.  
"Longest twenty minutes of my life," Sulu muttered to Chekov. His nerves were gone, replaced only by a steely determination. Chekov only nodded, his eyes already narrowed in concentration.  
They entered, sat down, and began.

Later Sulu couldn't tell anyone a thing about the simulation, and neither could Chekov. It was a blur of turns and drops, Sulu's fingers flying over the control panel, Chekov barking out commands sometimes with Russian exclamations Sulu didn't understand. It was flying on instinct, and trusting each other to do their job. It was over before Sulu had much time to register it beginning.

Sulu and Chekov looked at each other. The timer read 11 minutes and 43 seconds.  
"Did...did we finish it?" Chekov asked.  
"I...I think..."  
The sound of the door to the observation room opening caused them both to jump.  
"Cadets!" called the Admiral.  
"Yes, sir?" they both answered, jumping to attention.  
"Congratulations," Admiral Mayweather said with a pleased smile. "You passed with the fastest time and the highest marks of any cadet to step foot in Starfleet Academy."  
For a minute neither of them could say anything. Then Chekov's face split into a huge smile, and Sulu went to give the Admiral a hearty handshake.  
Then, grinning like a couple of fools, they climbed the few steps into the observation room to the cheers and applause of their classmates. Sulu shook so many hands that he couldn't feel his fingers but his favorite congratulation came at the end when April and Nick fought through the crowd to speak to him and Chekov.  
"That was amazing!" crowed April giving both of them hugs. "And I was proud of my thirteen minutes flat...eleven minutes and forty-three seconds! No one is ever going to beat that!"  
"Trish and I were at seventeen minutes," Nick lamented shaking his head, "I was panicking let me tell you."  
"At least you passed," April said with a glance at a classmate who was storming away.

"Cadets," the flight instructor said, "Be warned that we are setting up for the next exam. You can stay in here but you have to be quiet since the examiners are in the next room."  
"Sir?" April asked, "What test is it?"  
"The Kobayashi Maru," he replied his lips quirking up into an ironic smile, "James Kirk is taking it again."  
"What?!"  
He left without a word and the four of them looked at each other in shock.  
"James Kirk? Hasn't he taken in twice already?" demanded Nick Paris.  
"He's crazy," Sulu said. "A genius but crazy."  
"He's quite the lady's man," April Mayweather mused.  
"Didn't he ask you out?" Chekov asked her. "Last year I think..."  
"Turned him down," April replied with a toss of her hair. "But I sat behind him in Stellar Cartography all this year...he's actually a nice guy once you get past the full of himself part."

Just then Kirk, with the rest of his "crew" for the exam filed into the room below them.  
"Hey, that's Uhura," said April, looking at the communications station.  
"And there's Trish," Sulu commented, pointing to the Navigator's station. "I was wondering why he left so soon."  
"And McCoy is down there," Chekov added, "Kirk must have asked him, he usually doesn't sign up for these simulations."

The exam began and Uhura said the infamous command that the Kobayashi Maru was stranded and needed to be rescued but all Kirk seemed to hear was...  
"Captain? Really Jim," April scoffed, "I don't think that's the point."  
"Here come the Klingons," Chekov said, his eyes on the screen.

"Alert medical to be prepared to receive all crew members from the stranded ship," Kirk commanded below.  
"And how do you suggest we rescue them when we're surrounded by Klingons, captain," said Uhura scathingly.  
"Alert medical," Kirk replied, grinning infuriatingly.

"What is he doing?" Sulu muttered.  
"Is that...is that an apple?" April asked, squinting down.  
Then the lights began to flicker, the simulation screen went down and next thing everyone knew.  
"Is he destroying the Klingon ships?!" Paris demanded.  
"Oh my God," April said, "I think..."

"...no one on board was injured and the successful rescue of the Kobayashi Maru is underway," Kirk said with a flourish. He bit into the apple with relish and the four in the observation deck stared at each other open-mouthed until Commander Spock entered the room on his way out and looked at them pointedly.  
They left as quickly as they could. Of course every Pilot and Navigator knew that James T. Kirk had beaten the Kobayashi Maru after only an hour or so and the academy was soon buzzing...so everyone had a sneaking suspicion what the trial was about as soon as the Cadets received the order to dress in their dress uniforms and assemble in the Admiral Archer Memorial Auditorium.

"This council has been called to discuss a troubling matter. James T. Kirk come forward," Admiral Mayweather began.  
Kirk glanced around, almost as if he was waiting for someone to explain what was happening or call "April Fools!" but he walked to the podium all the same.  
"This is about the test, isn't it?" Sulu heard April mutter to Chekov. The two of them were directly behind him, Nick Paris in the row behind them. He didn't want to get into trouble, but the two younger cadets were whispering furiously to each other.

Commander Spock walking forward to face Kirk directly pulled Sulu's attention back to the front.  
"Cadet Kirk you somehow managed..."

"Have you ever had Spock as a teacher?" Chekov asked April quietly.  
"Yeah," she breathed, "Makes everyone feel like a toddler...except for Uhura."  
"Uhura? What does she..."

"In academic vernacular, you cheated," the Admiral told Kirk sternly. Chekov's comment was cut short as he goggled in amazement and April gasped.

Sulu couldn't help it. He glanced over his shoulder just enough to exchange looks of amazement with Chekov. But the flickering lights during the exam...it made sense...

Kirk was speaking again: "I don't believe in no-win scenarios."

They were all speechless, and then every single cadet began whispering at once.  
"What the hell is he talking about?"  
"He's either a genius or completely crazy..."  
"He would be able to pull a ship out of that mess though..."  
"Who does he think he is?"  
"He was able to hack into the official Starfleet computer to change the test..."

Commander Spock had said something, and Kirk, looking a bit angry repeated, "Me of all people?"  
"Your father assumed command shortly before being killed in action, did he not?" Spock prompted.

April winced. Chekov muttered, "He shouldn't have done that."  
Sulu gave in.  
"What is it?" he hissed over his shoulder.  
Chekov leaned forward very slightly and muttered in his ear. "George Kirk was killed in action. Saved most of the ship of his crew. Kirk gets very defensive whenever anyone tries to analyze it..."  
"Cadet," hissed a man three seats down from April. "Be quiet."  
"You know he's right, McCoy," April muttered back. But no one said a word as Kirk and Spock continued to argue before the entire Advanced Class at the Academy; Kirk obviously getting upset, and then an aid brought the admiral a message. Admiral Mayweather glanced down and his eyes widened. He looked up and said loudly, "We've received a distress call from Vulcan."  
Spock snapped his head up so fast, Sulu stared at him and it took him a second to process the rest of the Admiral's words: "With our primary fleet engaged in the Laurencin System, I hereby order all Cadets to report to hangar bay one for duty. Dismissed."  
As one, the Cadets rose and filed out. All except for McCoy, who hurried down to speak to Kirk.

"We're going on assignment," Chekov hissed to April. He was obviously excited, "We haven't even graduated yet!"  
"I hope we get the..." began April.  
"Enterprise," finished Sulu, his heart beating faster just thinking about it.  
The ranks broke and Sulu joined the two younger Cadets on a fast march to the hangar...only to be stopped by the flight instructor.  
"Sulu! Chekov!"  
"Yes, sir!" They chorused, snapping to attention. April paused, unsure of what to do, and the instructor waved her on. She nodded, and followed the crowd, glancing at them over her shoulder.

Sulu wondered what he'd done. Chekov wondered if they'd keep him on the planet since he wasn't yet eighteen.  
"Sulu, Helmsman MaKenan has lungworms and can't report for duty. Due to your high scores on the simulation yesterday morning you will be his relief, do you accept?"  
"Yes, sir," Sulu said, still standing at attention.  
"Good," the instructor replied, grinning, "Then report for duty as the helmsman of the Enterprise."  
Sulu's mouth dropped open and he stared at his teacher in shock as the man turned to Chekov and said, "Cadet Chekov, Ensign Moran is on leave for the week due to a death in the family. You will report for his relief as Navigator of the Enterprise."  
"Me, sir?" Chekov almost squeaked in surprise.  
"Yes, son," the instructor said with a smile. "Good luck, men. It has been a pleasure teaching you."  
Sulu and Chekov saluted him, and then tried to walk at a normal pace to the appropriate shuttle, only stopping to pick up their new uniforms.

It was there that they found April and Nick Paris.  
"Which ship did you get?" Paris demanded just as April asked, "What did the Admiral want?"  
Sulu answered, "We got the Enterprise!" As Chekov asked, "What did you get?"  
April and Paris chorused, "The Enterprise!"  
The four friends laughed slightly as they boarded their shuttle. Chekov looked as if he would start singing. Sulu felt the same way until they stepped onto the shuttle. Then he felt nervous, exactly like he has felt before the exam. He was so nervous that he completely missed April and Chekov talking behind him. For April had leaned in the whisper to Chekov, "Is that Kirk?"  
Chekov muttered back, "He looks awful..."

Then they saw the Enterprise and the only thought in anyone's mind was, "Amazing..."

At the same time, on an uninhabited Class M planet with only one Starfleet Base, a very bored and hungry Starfleet engineer opened a Starfleet rations packet and made a face. Then he threw a wrench at the wall, shouting, "This is totally unacceptable!"

Epilogue:  
April hurried through the halls of the Enterprise to the ship's command center. They'd just kicked Kirk off the ship, which was the oddest command she had ever received; but, for the moment there was no battle. She was on duty at the helm next and she wanted to get there early enough to tell Sulu that...  
The lift's doors slid open and April found herself face to face with Captain Spock. She stepped aside for him to enter the lift. He nodded at her, and she wondered why, even though he was a Vulcan and had no emotions, she thought she'd never seen anyone so sad.  
She got on the Bridge and went up to stand behind Chekov and Sulu. Chekov gave her a strained smile as Trish relieved him, and April tapped Sulu on the shoulder.  
"Hikaru?" April said softly.  
Sulu nodded and stood, assuming that she meant that he needed to move. Well, he did, but that wasn't the point.  
"You saved our lives by delaying the send-off," April told him. "If we'd left with the rest of the fleet we would've died. The entire ship would have been destroyed, and then no one on Vulcan would have had a chance."  
"Kirk saved the ship," Sulu argued tiredly, "Not me."  
"Kirk wouldn't have had time to warn us if we'd left right away," April said.  
"She's right," Chekov said. He hadn't left; he was still waiting for Sulu.  
Sulu looked at his two friends and smiled.  
"Thanks, April."  
She grinned and sat down in the seat.  
"This is amazing," she murmured.  
And, despite the incoming threat, despite the destruction of Vulcan and those Romulans, the three of them smiled as they watched the stars flash by at warp.

(Quick Author's Note: This is for all my fans who loved "Birthday." Another fic about the Enterprise and its crew is on its way. Quick question so please review and answer: Chekov and April? Yes or No? Thanks!)


End file.
